Worst Case Scenario
by Koomahana
Summary: There was a reason why anything and everything related to time travel where collected and destroyed by the first, second and third Hokage's of the hidden leaf village. Not everyone in the world had good intentions...
1. Chapter 1

**Worse Case Scenario**

Prolog

**Disclaimer: Naruto is not mine; you want the real stuff get off this site**

_Thoughts_

_Paragraphs are memories_

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There was something that Anbu heard the occasional rumors about; they'd hear small snippets and faint whisperings of something called 'Anbu Root'. The only thing anyone in Anbu knew for sure about 'Root' was that they were better in every way then the normal 'Anbu'. They were what used to be considered the 'perfect shinobi'.

They weren't people to be crossed.

In Anbu Root there were whisperings and faint snippets of roomers of something called 'Bell'. They all knew one thing for sure: Danzo Shimura controlled it. They knew that the 'Bell' had been taken in like all others in root had been; the difference was that Danzo trained 'Bell' differently—he trained 'Bell' himself. There were roomers that those who heard the faint tinkering of a bell were those sentenced to death, that if you heard the bells while in the deepest part of the tunnels where most of 'Root' wasn't supposed to be, then you wouldn't make it out alive. That only those in the final stage of training could handle them... and even that was sketchy at best.

Anbu knew to be wiry of 'Root' and Root knew to avoid 'Bell' at all costs.

Hiruzen Sarutobi, the third Hokage, knew there was a second branch in Anbu named 'Root' and as he stared at his two head interdictors, he now knew that 'Root' had something to fear itself.

"Are you sure?" Hiruzen asked softly, not wanting to really believe that there was another fraction to 'Root' that had its members fearful of it.

"I'm positive," Inoichi murmured looking slightly shaken. "The Root agents are taught to feel nothing, not even fear. The problem is that, according to the boy we caught, there is something that roams the deepest, darkest depths of their base. That something in the final levels roams almost freely and that to meet it is to mean death—there are no exceptions."

"Did you find out his leader?" Hiruzen asked, holding back a sigh.

"I'm afraid not." Inoichi murmured looking regretful. "The seal that's on his tong is only the physical manifestation of it; there is another one in his mind. Interrogators like my self can't access that kind of information without dyeing themselves."

"So there's no way of finding out." Hiruzen sighed. "Who ever he is he sure is careful." Ibiki Marino and Inoichi Yamanaka nodded together.

"I was able to get something from him though." Inoichi murmured, "It's not much but it's at least something."

"What is it?"

"All transactions are done through a girl." Inoichi sighed, "her looks change with each member, but there is a common look to each transformation. She holds a staff at the ready before herself at all times."

_We can't find her either._ Hiruzen sighed around his pipe, making Inoichi shift slight. _Staff users are a dime a dozen. Unfortunately we teach transformation in the academy, so that means this woman knows her basics and is smart enough to use them._

"When the boy was given access to his master last time, he was able to get a glance of him before he kneeled." Inoichi continued. "I was able to focus on that bit of image before it was fogged out and spiraled out view."

"What could you see?"

"A figure sitting in a chair," Inoichi sighed, clearly knowing that it wasn't much. "In the memory the only thing that shows that there was someone in the chair was what little light shown on the person's feet. But that's not what's concerning to me." Inoichi took a deep breath and finally locked eyes with his village leader. "Next to the man was what appeared to be two small bodies crouching as if ready to attach. The light wasn't touching them but I could tell that both figures were small in size."

"...Inoichi is it possible that the boy's master purposefully let you see that memory because he knew you wouldn't be able to trace it to him?" Hiruzen asked, Inoichi sighed and nodded.

"I thought so too Lord Hokage," Inoichi murmured. "He created the seal to show me the basics, such as the fact that all of the boy's memories were in deep, dark places that were obviously underground. He aloud-small useless bits of the boy's memory to be shown, such as the ridicules number of house he spent in training. He aloud me to see the other members but only those who were older and wore the Anbu standard uniform: the black cloak covering everything from the head down. They even have similar masks to Anbu, except that they aren't painted." Inoichi sighed as he rubbed at his temple.

"It was like trying to walk through a normal Anbu's head." Inoichi groaned. "Completely useless in trying to identify the difference between Root and Anbu because even the boy we captured doesn't know the difference."

"or maybe the difference was sealed as well." Ibiki mumbled, trying to be helpful to the Yamanaka head. The blond man shook his head slightly, rubbing one hand against his temple.

"If that's the case then we're screwed." Inoichi groaned. "If I try to go beyond that seal then me and anyone else trying to read his mind is going to end up dead before we can get the information out and that boy is going to die too."

"In other words, we've got nothing." Ibiki mumbled looking displeased with the result. "What do we do with the boy?"

"Did you find out his mission objective?" Hiruzen asked thoughtfully as he turned his coal eyes onto Inoichi again.

"His mission was to protect some kid. Nothing meant more to him then protecting that kid—even at the coast of his life or even capture." Inoichi answered. "Unfortunately the only thing I do know about this mission is that the kid holds a lot of potential."

"So they could be anyone." Ibiki sighed, making his Hokage smirk

"Not necessarily." Hiruzen answered. "How old is he?"

"About ten or so." Inoichi answered. "The boy doesn't keep track, I don't think anyone in 'Root' celebrates birthdays."

"So then this kid would be about his age and considering that the boy's master collects children to be shinobi, he's properly looking at a child in the academy." Hiruzen mused. "Most likely one that doesn't come from a clan—they would all make a huge ruckus about one of their kids suddenly going missing."

"So then a civilian born kid?" Ibiki asked with a slight frown. "They would have to be exceptional. At least standing out from the other children in the academy, even if it is only slightly."

"I need to contact the school." Hiruzen mumbled. "I have to find out what civilian child would be able to become the perfect soldier..."

"There's no need for you too." Ibiki said. "Your busy enough lord Hokage I can go." While Hiruzen stared blankly at Ibiki, Inoichi looked at his partner absolutely horrified.

"You are not going to the damn academy!" Inoichi nearly snapped out. "You'll end up giving the kids nightmares! Half of the academy's students would drop out! I'll go! You stay away from the academy!"

"...I forgot that you had a kid that goes to the academy." Ibiki said with a grin.

_Yeah right,_ Hiruzen thought with a chuckle, watching as Inoichi glared at him in irritation. "You're both dismissed." Hiruzen watched amusedly as both head interrogators left out his door, Inoichi all but running out of the building so that he could get to the academy before Ibiki could try and scare the children away from the lives of shinobi for ever.

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><p>…<p>

**Any requests for who or what you think 'Bell' is?**

**Thoughts are helpful**

**Opinions are wonderful**

**Flames are lovely! Just don't cripple me okay?**

**Please no cursing!**

**And don't forget to review!**

**Page 4**


	2. Chapter 2

**Worst Case Scenario**

Chapter 1: waking up and meeting the world

Koomahana

**Disclaimer: Naruto is not mine, if you want the real stuff get off this site **

_Thoughts_

_Paragraphs are flashbacks_

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><p>…<p>

In the deep dark recesses of a mountain long forgotten, a single man snapped into a sitting position in his bed, panting hard. Everything seemed so real, feeling the elongated glowing blade of the last Uchiha's sword pierce through his chest, passed through his heart, and skimmed the edge of his spin. He could still feel the muscles spasm and contract, his heart pounding heavily as if he ran for a week without stop. If only the boy had seen the intricate tattoo he had carved into his chest when he was young. It was a one time use, he knew he'd never see that scroll again; it was more for safety sakes then anything else.

Waving away the three young men who barged into his room, he waited for them to leave before ripped open his sleeping yukata and stared almost curiously at his too pale, well developed and completely scare free chest. Which wasn't right because he was about sixteen when he found the scroll and had carved it's seal onto his chest, he didn't bring 'Root' into existence until he was about thirty and he didn't start living 'Root' in his home until three years before the Uchiha massacre. Letting out a long breath, he swung his legs over the edge of his bed and walked calmly to his desk. His eyes landing first on the Calendar, May 1st, he couldn't help the small grin that stretched across his lips.

There was still time to spare the Uchiha clan (if he didn't then in the long run he's done for), then he could start searching for those who would be the most helpful to him. He needed to weed his garden, he needed to assign different missions to different shinobi (sparing those he could so they could handle other missions that would come later), then he needed to get his hands on the next generation. More specifically those he could get his hands on. Like the civilian born genius medic and the orphan girl, everyone else of the famed rookie 11 where from some clan or an untouchable. He couldn't touch them; but he could touch those who would end up with the most contact with them.

Turning on his heal he headed for his shower, once done there he quickly changed and with a swish of cloths the man headed for the door of his room, his single coal eye glowing in the darkness of his room.

_Now then, time to change my fate._

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Truth be told, he'd never understand why he would be given the mission to search out two little girls in the village some where. The only information he had was the most basic information.

A brunet orphan girl child, with her long hair pulled up into to two buns on either side of her head, dark Carmel skin, warm brown eyes, and an easily excitable personality that was also slightly wiry and shy when concerning strangers. She likes weapons in general, especially the shiny and sharp ones—like shuriken and kunai knifes.

The second little girl sounded completely ridiculous. Who in this world has neon pink hair? Green eyes weren't unheard of and people with a pale completion were fairly common in the land of fire (but seriously, pink hair?) The girl is civilian born, is the definition of shy in every way, she doesn't talk to strangers, she's self conscience about her looks to the extreme.

Why in the seven hells would his master want to find these two no body girls? He usually searched out those who should potential, as in the here and now potential. From what little information he had on these two girls, if they did become shinobi they'd be average in every manner of the word. What could his master possibly want with them? They wouldn't survive the training, much less the expectations that Root required.

Seeing a flash of pink from the corner of his eye, the young man snapped around in his tree hoping, landing on a tree he pushed himself back in the direction he just came from. It didn't take him long to find that flash of pink again.

_Well I'll be damned,_ the man thought as he watched a young girl run from a group of four other slightly older girls. _She really does have pink hair._

True to his mission report, a little girl with porcelain white skin and waist length bright neon pink hair ran for dear life. The four girls's chasing her were just barely five feet behind her, all four shouting and furious with the girl as she ran and ran from them. While the four other girls appeared to be nearing their limit, the pinkette looked like she could run for a little while longer.

Suddenly the girl with dark purple hair made a hand sign and with a sudden boost of power that scared the pavement beneath her feet, the girl caught up with the pinkette in one bound. With a shout of triumph, the purple haired girl snatched up some cotton candy pink locks and yanked back on the pinkette's head. With a cry of pain, the smaller girl's feet snapped out from under her and she collided with the ground harshly. The three other girls quickly jumped on the tiny pinkette as the purple haired girl smashed her victims face into the hot cement, as the pinkette thrashed wildly beneath them, the four girls let out their laughter as they pulled out scissors and cut off the girl's hair in large uneven clumps. Only they didn't take in account for the girl's love of her long locks.

Suddenly, and with a chakra boost that even he felt from where he hide in the trees, the pinkette jerked her arms out from beneath their hold and smashed her elbows into the burnet and blonde's faces. Spinning around on the ground she knocked the purple haired leader's feet out from beneath her, the problem was that the girl was leaning over the pinkette so when she fell she fell towards the girl, the scissors in her hands wide open and colliding with the pinkette's face. He flinched as the pinkette let out a scream so loud that her bullies covered their ears and quickly retreated from her, their scissors still in the young girl's face.

"Damn," the young man whispered as he launched himself forward, his hand snatching up the girl's wrists before she could yank the scissors out of her face and give herself a rather ugly scare. Her eyes were horrifyingly large and they were such a pale shade of green that they were almost white.

"Hold on don't move," he said, if possible the girl's eyes widened further and she let out another wail. Cursing he pinned the girl's legs beneath his own and quickly pinned her wrists above her head and on the ground, and she still bucked beneath him as he tried to calm her.

"Quite moving!" he snapped, his voice echoing in the air around him. "Or do you want to die?" that stilled the pinkette, instantly her body was frozen as she stared terrifyingly up at him.

"Good girl, now hold still." He ordered as he removed the scissors from her face so that it with luck, it wouldn't pull any more skin away from her and make her bleed more then she was already.

"Good girl," he said as he released her hands and backed off of her just enough for the girl to slowly rise herself, still watching him wirily. With a sigh, the man placed the scissors a few feet away from himself, showing the girl that he wasn't going to use them on her.

"Would you like me to take care of that?" he asked as he gestured at his own face, the girl flinched and sniffed at him, but she only moved her legs beneath herself. Sat before him in a wiry kneeling position, her eyes calmer now that she saw he wasn't going to hurt her. Slowly he raised his hands, watching her amusedly as she watched him move wirily, and formed two hand signs. With one hand now glowing a bright green, he raised it slightly towards her for her protection, noting how her eyes were locked onto the limb in wonder.

"This is called the mystical palm technique," he said slowly, noting in curiosity how the girl seemed to be not afraid of him anymore, but listening with wrapped attention. "It heals wounds like the one there on your face. But in order for me to use it on you, I must place this hand—" he twitched his still glowing figures for emphasis—"on your face. Now the cut is deep and close to your eye, when I place my hand on your face I must cover the entire wound with my hand. That means your eye closest to the wound is going to be covered. Okay?" slowly the girl nodded her head, the expression in her eyes still wiry even though her face should nothing—nothing but her blatant fear of having at least one of her eyes covered by his hand.

Slowly, so that she wouldn't scream and try to run away from him again, he inched his hand closer and closer to the girl's face. He watched her amusedly as her emerald eyes continued to watch his hand frightfully but seemed to accept that he didn't mean her any harm. When she flinched as his hand connected with her face slight, he froze just for a second before he pressed the rest of his hand against her cheek as gently as he could.

The healing process didn't last long and after a moment, he removed his hand to examine his work and determine how much longer it would take, only his eyes narrowed at the perfect expanse of skin that was the child's face. Hesitantly he pressed his hand back over the girl's face and closed his eyes in concentration, it didn't take much of a probe to see that the girl's chakra had reacted to his own and after seeing that it wasn't doing any harm to it, the chakra had actually mimicked his own and sped up the healing processes, cutting his normal healing time frame from ten minutes down to barely two.

_I think I'm beginning to understand_, the man thought as he cut off his chakra to his hand and retracted it slowly, examining the girl's now perfectly unmarred pixy like face. _Master must have noticed something about the girl's chakra._

The two studied each other for a moment more, both kneeling in the middle of the park's path way, both ignoring the few people stopped to stare at them before continuing on. A voice suddenly called out, making the girl blink and giving him the chance to disappear.

_So her name is Sakura,_ the man though from where he stood just out of sight and high in one of the many maple trees in the park. _And one of the few Haruno's of the village I see._ The man eyed the girl's mother's white dress with its three crimson circles upon her back and skirt. Not wasting much more time, the man disappeared from the park, intending to search out his next target.

The orphan was as easy to find as the pinkette. He found her beating the crap out of the four girls who had cut up pinky's hair and cut her face by accident. By the way she was still full of energy and swinging her stick around herself, he guessed that she had just caught up to them. The girl wasn't shy about making enemies that's for sure. The four girls were from clans while she was just an orphan, they swore they're parents were going to make her pay for what she did to them.

"You're so dead Tenten!" the purple haired girl shouted as she scrambled to her feet. "My dad's going to beat you up!"

"If I catch you doing that again Ai, you're the one who's going to be dead!" The brunet girl that he was searching for, Tenten, shouted as she lunched forward towards the purple haired girl, Ai, who screamed and ran away from Tenten, not bothering to see if her friends fallowed her.

_The report forgot to mention how strong she was with a simple stick._ The man thought as he landed just behind Tenten, the girl snapped around her eyes wide as she stared up at him in slight fear.

"You did good girl," he said as he held his hand out to her. "If you want to protect her better, if you want to get stronger, if you want to be kunochi worthy of protecting the weak; then take this." Wirily the girl raised one hand out to him, hesitating for only a second, the girl finally opened her hand out to him, palm up. With a grin the man released the tiny object in his palm, as soon as it landed in her hand he disappeared—quickly returning to his master.

He found both of his objectives and left behind the key they would need to find him again.

His mission was complete.

...

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><p>...<p>

**Thoughts are helpful**

**Opinions are wonderful**

**Constructive criticisms is appreciated**

**Please no cursing!**

**And don't forget to review!**

**Page 5**


	3. Chapter 3

**Worst Case Scenario**

Chapter 3: unexpected changes

Koomahana

**Disclaimer: Naruto is not mine; you want the real stuff get off this site**

_Thoughts_

_Paragraphs are memories_

…

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><p>…<p>

"Good," the old man sitting in his chair murmured. "You are sure they will be able to figure it out?"

"Yes," he murmured. "I made sure that they would both be able to find the given location you wish for them to meet up at."

The man nodded his head slowly, in his mind still turning and focused on something he wasn't privy too. "You did well Shintaro, you're dismissed."

"Hai," and just as quickly as he arrived, the young man disappeared.

"...Fallow him."

"Yes sir," another shadow disappeared just as quickly as the previous man did.

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With her body size being so small and her bed so big and her blanket that was even bigger, when she laid atop her crimson dressed bed, she laid with in the perfectly white circle that was the emblem of her clan—what little of them that were left at least. Sakura Haruno stared blankly up at her pure white ceiling, her white walls reaching up to meet it made her room seem as if it had an endless height to it.

...

"_If you want to protect yourself, if you want to get stronger, if you want to be a kunochi that none would dare to harm. Then come and find me again, I will give you one clue." The strange masked man seemed to smile at her, she could tell because his aura changed color, his body relaxed and his voice was softer. "There is one other who is the same as you. Find her and together you will be able to find me once more."_

...

The strange white masked man disappeared soon after and she wanted to know who he was. Could he really make her stronger? Could he really make her a kunochi that no one would dare to bully?

Slowly her head turned to stare at the single crimson ribbon he left behind for her, two golden bells on its ends that didn't ring when they moved. Looking at the clock just beyond the ribbon she closed her eyes and without realizing she fell asleep. She dreamed of the strange man who had given her the ribbon, she dreamed what the other girl must look like (he called the clue 'she' that means he contacted another girl), she dreamed of having her hair pulled back with crimson ribbon that had bells on it's ends and dreamed of being a kunochi that no one dared to harm.

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The fallowing morning found little tiny Sakura Haruno dressed and ready bright and early for her first day at the academy. Slowly Sakura left her room and as quietly as she possibly could, she fallowed the smell of her mother cooking breakfast, walking slowly down the wooden hallway with her tiny new ribbon in hand. When she reached the kitchen and dinning area she stood hesitantly in the doorway, she wanted to ask her mother to put the ribbon in her hair but even she didn't know how it should be done, her hair was so short now.

"Sakura-dearest what is it?" Sakura jumped at the soft voice of her mother, the older blonde laughed at her cheerfully. Sakura always forgot that her mother was once a Jonin, a woman that not many shinobi dared to challenge. She was called by many names, Mebuki the golden butterfly was her most famous title. "Oh Sakura-dear come and help your mother with breakfast will you?" Sakura smiled slightly and quickly walked to her mother's side, stepping up on the stool that her mother always had waiting for her in the kitchen. Without much prompt her mother gently took the crimson ribbon from Sakura's tiny hands and just as gently pulled half of her daughter's bright pink hair up into a ponytail, leaving her bangs to frame her childishly heart shaped face with elegant bangs.

"It's not good for a kunochi to hide her eyes," Mebuki murmured to her daughter as she patted the tiny child's head gently. "She needs to show her enemies that she's not afraid."

"But I'm not afraid," Sakura murmured to her mother as she stepped up onto the second step of her tiny moveable staircase. "I just want them to stop talking about my forehead." Sakura clasped her mother's wooden spoon and as gently as she could she tried her best to stir the hot pot of golden liquid that her mother often left to her to take care of.

"Oh love," Mebuki chuckled as she swept her child up into a hug. "Some day you'll grow up to be a fine cheery tree and people will stop trying to hurt you and will begin to watch you as you bloom into endless beauty that could never be compared."

"But what about Ai?" Sakura asked as her mother released her gently. "Her name means love. No matter what happens, Love will always be stronger then a silly little tree."

"But love may not always be enough; no one values what is so easily given." Mebuki countered softly, as if remembering something from long ago. "Mizuumi means lake, but that girl is hardly peaceful or kind. She's more like a wolf; she's always looking for something that would make her stand out. Sora means sky, but that girl won't make it to genin, she'll quite before the year is out. And Utako means song child, but Utako has a horrid voice and she too will not go far in the kunochi world."

"But mommy I don't understand something." Sakura said as Mebuki returned to her side and turned off the stove so she could remove the pot of golden liquid. "If a kunochi's career is fated upon her name, then how did you become so famous? Aren't butterflies too frail to be kunochi's?" Mebuki smiled as she poured the golden liquid into a bowl full of other ingredients for breakfast.

"That's because I'm not a butterfly love." Mebuki answered, she smiled as Sakura tilted her head at her curiously. "I'm a Dokucho."

"What's that mommy?" Sakura asked as tried to fallow her mother to dinning table.

"Poison butterfly!" a voice chuckled in Sakura's ear, she let out a sudden squeal as she felt arms wrap around her and lift her high into the air only to crush her against a warm chest.

"Daddy!" Sakura giggled out as the tall burly red head snuggled her against his chin. "Quite it! It tickles!" Sakura squealed as her mother suddenly joined in, her hands skimming Sakura's side with feather light touches.

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She walked slowly and calmly towards her new school, the crimson ribbons she tied her hair up two crimson ribbons, her mind was filled with the words from the man she had met with yesterday. Tenten missed the tingling of the bells in her hair as passed into the academy, she had a good excuse for missing them—an explosion rocketed the air and a huge plume of dust and smoke rose high into the air. Tenten snapped around to look in the direction she had just came from, she watched wide eyed as hundreds of shadows and shinobi converged on the billowing smoke nearly on the other side of the village. She froze and watched stunned as the other children screamed and hurried into the academy, the shinobi parents quickly dashing off towards the smoke while the few civilians snatched up their children and hurried in the opposite direction.

"Mommy!" A voice cried out, shocking Tenten from her freeze, with wide eyes she turned to look at the person who let out the terrified scream.

"Stay here Sakura!" The tall blonde woman quickly rushed away from her pink haired child, not looking back as she jumped upon the roofs and hurried away.

"Mommy!" Sakura screamed again, intending to rush after her mother, but Tenten's hand snapped out, blocking Sakura from fallowing her mother.

"Who are you?" Sakura sniffed slightly, instantly on guard. Tenten smiled at her as calmly as she could.

"I'm a friend," Tenten murmured. "Don't worry; I'm sure your mom will come back. You don't have to worry; she's not alone out there." Sakura sniffed and rubbed at her watery green orbs with long yellow sleeves.

"Come on," Tenten said with one last look at the direction of the explosion. "Your teacher will begin to worry if your mom dropped you off but you didn't go into the academy. That would make her mad right?" Tenten smiled as the girl hiccupped and nodded softly, hand in hand both girls returned to the academy and Tenten walked the pink haired girl to her classroom, only separating from the frightened girl once she saw that the Chunin instructor was still in the classroom trying to calm down the students.

"Stay here and fallow your teacher okay?" Tenten smiled at the girl. "He'll protect you." Sakura nodded softly, the bells in her hair tinkling softly as she took a few steps forward into her classroom. Tenten eyed the girl's crimson ribbon before she smiled and turned away, her own bells tinkling with the movement. She didn't see how Sakura turned towards her with wide disbelieving eyes.

...

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><p>...<p>

**Thoughts are helpful**

**Opinions are wonderful**

**Flames are lovely! Just don't cripple me okay?**

**Please no cursing!**

**And don't forget to review!**

**Page 4**


	4. Chapter 4

**Worst Case Scenario**

Chapter 4: fighting back

Koomahana

**Disclaimer: Naruto is not mine; you want the real stuff get off this site**

_Thoughts_

_Paragraphs are memories_

…

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><p>…<p>

Sakura waited patently at the entrance to the academy, waiting for her mother to come for her. It seemed like the fighting had stopped while she was still in the academy, but neither one of her parents were there waiting for her. Sakura waited calmly, she ignored the other children who walked passed her, looking curiously at her. Sakura even ignored three of her four bullies as they walked away with their parents. Only Ai's comments brought Sakura out of her trances, and her eyes swiveled away from the path to her home that her mother had raced off too.

"Daddy that's her!" Ai shouted pointing to Sakura. "She's the one who beat me up yesterday!" Instantly Sakura's eyes were on Ai, ignoring the towering man that stood beside her.

"You cut my hair," Sakura replied instantly, her voice solid and hard, completely unimpressed with the glare shot her way or the shocked silences of her pears. "After that you lost control of the scissors and stabbed my in the face; if not for that Anbu man I'd have a scar for life."

"You're a liar!" Ai snapped, she tried to step behind her father, her dark brown eyes filled with anger and hatred as she glared at the pinkette a few steps away from herself. Sakura tilted her head at the girl curiously.

"What benefit would I have for lying?" Sakura asked. "It's not my fault you can't handle the truth." Ai growled lowly at her, her eyes blazing with hatred. "I'm tiered of your stupid little games Ai, stay away from me. Other wise next time I won't stop at using chakra to get away from you, I'll use it against you."

"See there you go again!" Ai shouted pointing at Sakura accusatorily. "You can't mold chakra! No one in our year can! No one our age can! You're lying again!" Sakura's brow twitched as she turned to face Ai fully, her eyes dark and cold as she stared at Ai; still ignoring the watchful adults.

"Lying wouldn't benefit me in any manner." Sakura said calmly. "My name means field of cheery blossoms. Your name means Love."

"What's that got to do with anything?" Ai asked with a sneer

"You're too cold hearted to know what love is." Sakura answered simply, ignoring the shocked silence of everyone around her. "You are obsessed with believing that you're the best. No one can compare to you in skill, beauty, and brains. Yet you are only six—you haven't grown up enough to have any kind of beauty; you're only a child. You constantly get beat in Taijutsu class so skill wise you're below average. And as for your brains you haven't got any worth talking about." Ai and her father flat out gaped at Sakura, all wide eyed and mouths hanging ajar. "I'm number one in our paper tests and so far no one, including you, has beaten my record. So there's no reason for your inferiority complex."

"What? How dare you!" Ai snapped out, stepping just slightly away from her father, her eyes blazing.

"Sorry did I confuse you?" Sakura asked, blinking at Ai as if she didn't understand the girl's sudden anger. "Was it: love, cold hearted, obsessed, constantly, including, reason, or inferiority complex? I'll be happy to explain each for you." Ai growled lowly at Sakura, who didn't appear to care for the girl's reaction, she turned back towards the direction she lived, her eyes locked on the horizon.

"I'm tiered of your presence. You're a nuisance and a waist of space." Sakura said passively, still seemingly lost in her own thoughts. "Just leave me alone Ai." Ai took a threatening step towards Sakura, seemingly forgetting that her father was still standing beside her.

"That's enough Ai," the man ordered suddenly, making his purple haired child flinch at his voice. "We're going home. You have some explaining to do."

"But daddy she really did beat me up yesterday!" Ai persisted. "She kicked my legs!" Ai shouted pointing at her heavily bruised leg for emphasis.

"You were standing on her!" Ai snapped around to see Tenten approaching her in a threatening manner. "Mizuumi, Sora and Utako held her down while you cut her hair!" Said girls twitched as each of their parents looked down at them curiously. "When she used her chakra to break your hold on her, that's when she kicked you! Then you dropped the scissors and they hit her in the face! You ran away while she cried out! You didn't even bother to fix it! You just left the scissors in her face!"

"...If you were there why didn't you stop them?" Ai's father asked.

"I heard Sakura screaming and saw what they were doing to her." Tenten answered as she stopped walking to stand protectively in front of Sakura. "By the time I got there that Anbu man was taking care of her wound so I tracked down Ai and her friends!"

"What did you do then?" he asked, tilting his head to the side.

"I grabbed the biggest stick I could get and threatened to beat them with it if they didn't go back and apologize!" Tenten replied with a nasty glare shot at Ai. "Ai said no and that it was Sakura-san's fault for moving and that if she just stayed still then she wouldn't have gotten cut! That's when I started swinging!" Ai scowled at Tenten, she opened her mouth ready to retort but her father started speaking again.

"Thank you little one for telling the truth." He said calmly. "Next time please get an elder."

"If there were any around when Ai is then I wouldn't have had to beat her with a stick." Tenten replied. Ai's father chuckled and agreed, bending slightly he snatched up his daughter's ear and started for home, he ignored her whining and protests the entire way.

Sakura ignored everyone, she ignored the curious looks, the not so quite whisperings and she ignored how soon everyone faded away leaving her alone at the entrance of the academy, even the brunet girl who stood up for her eventually left.

Sakura never once saw the two shadows high above her. One shadow was bleeding and tied up on a limb that was farther away from the patent pinkette; this way the blood dripping down to the ground wouldn't alert her. The other shadow was sitting on the branch directly above her, calmly watching the pinkette and being watchful of his surroundings.

"Mommy!" Sakura cried out suddenly, making the shadow blink, his eyes rising to look at the approaching figure of a woman dressed in white. "Mommy!" Sakura shouted again as she raced forward and barreled into her mother, sobbing uncontrollably.

Mebuki chuckled as she picked up her child and placed the tiered child on her hip. She stopped to raise eyes and stare at the shadow sitting in the tree just above where her daughter was standing, she nodded at what little of the shadow she could see and turned on her heal, intending to return to their temporary home.

…

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><p>…<p>

_This isn't right,_ He thought as he stared at embers before him with a narrowed eyed gaze; it had been two and half days since the explosion. Luckily no one was seriously hurt by the blast, but the man who lived in the house suffered from the typical wounds of mild burns, scraps, bruises and one fractured rib with another broken. _This didn't happen la—_

"Danzo-sama," he turned to stare at the Anbu member who landed just a few feet away. "We've apprehended the one responsible. There is a small problem."

"What is it?" he asked with a frown.

"The man is a nuke-nin," the young man answered

"I fail to see that as a problem."

"...He wasn't after the Haruno family," Danzo waited patiently for the young man to continue. "He was after you, Danzo-sama." Danzo's eyes narrowed at the kneeling young man several feet away, his mind working a mile a minute comparing and organizing itself.

"...Get what you can from him." Danzo ordered, his voice icing over. "Then kill him."

"Yes sir."

…

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><p>…<p>

She rushed through the open gates of her academy and raced passed what few gathered parents were there. The best way for her to find someone is to go back to the place where she first met them; that meant she had to get back to the park, preferably the exact location where he saved her. Sakura panted as she raced through the grounded streets, she laced her chakra throughout her body like she usually did when she ran (typically from Ai and her gang) and ignored the surprised looks shot her way as she weaved and dodged through the thick crowds.

After ten minutes of running, Sakura found herself back in the park where her wound transpired. She walked forward on the same path until she came to the approximate location where the strange man tackled her to keep her from wounding herself further.

_Now if I were going to leave a clue to someone,_ Sakura thought as she stopped in the middle of the pathway and examined her surroundings carefully. _Where would I hide it?_

"Hay you! Girl with the pink hair!" Sakura turned towards the loud voice and watched curiously as two teen boys ran towards her. "Wait up!" Sakura blinked and turned around completely to face the two running boys, she was still breathing a little heavily but not nearly as bad as the two black haired boys who skidded to a stop in front of her.

"Where you using chakra just now?" the taller of the two boys asked excitedly, Sakura stared at him a little nervously and shook her head. "I mean when you were running just now, were you using chakra?"

"Shisui she doesn't know what chakra is." The shorter one said suddenly sighing and turning as if he were about to leave.

"Chakra," Sakura said softly, catching both boys' attention instantly. "Is the combination of both physical energy and spiritual energy. It is easiest to use through hand signs although there are some who need less of them as compared to others. It can be grown through physical exercise and mental exercise. Physical exercise grows the physical aspect of the chakra; while meditation and knowledge grows the spiritual aspect of chakra." Both black haired boys stared at her, one with a dropped mouth (obviously gaping at her) and the other seemed to be only mildly surprised.

"Itachi she just repeated the text book!" the older boy, Shisui, shouted as if horrified by this knowledge. Suddenly, and much to Sakura's horror, the older boy wrapped his arms around Sakura and glared playfully at Itachi. "You poor girl! I'll protect you from the mean bullies!" Shisui had meant to say 'bully' but his shouted declaration made it sound plural instead of singular.

"Really?" Sakura asked curiously, catching both boys off guard. Shisui pulled away to look down at Sakura curiously. "Why would you do that for me? You don't know me." both boys looked down on Sakura's innocently curious face, noting how she didn't really expect a positive answer from either one of them; she just wanted to hear the boy's answer.

"Uh-um... you see I—" Shisui didn't get to finish as with a war cry someone's foot slammed against his cheek and the older boy found himself tumbling away from the pinkette and flipping up onto his hands to glare at his attacker, his Sharingan blazing to life.

"What the hell do you think your doing to Sakura-san?!" A little brown haired girl in a bright pink top and brown pants shouted pointing at the two boys as if they were the ones in the wrong. She stood in front of Sakura protectively, one hand placed on her hip as she glared unafraid at the two boys, with their Sharingan activated, just feet away from her.

…

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><p>…<p>

**Thoughts are helpful**

**Opinions are wonderful**

**Flames are lovely! Just don't cripple me okay?**

**Please no cursing!**

**And don't forget to review!**

**Page 5**


	5. Chapter 5

**Worst Case Scenario**

Chapter 5: curious Uchiha's

Koomahana

**Disclaimer: Naruto is not mine; you want the real stuff get off this site**

_Thoughts_

_Paragraphs are memories_

…

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><p>…<p>

"We were just talking," Shisui replied with a sigh and deactivating his gekaigenkai. "I was trying to answer her question when you interrupted."

"Yeah right," the girl snorted and crossed her arms in front of her chest. "I saw you with all those pretty ladies! Your always showering them with unnecessary complements that are so obviously lies that anyone with half a brain could see through them!" Itachi found his crimson faced cousin rather amusing to stare at.

"And you!" Itachi turned his black eyes onto the girl who clearly misunderstood Shisui's intentions with the girl still standing behind her. "Your no better so whip that smirk off your face!" Itachi raced an eyebrow at the girl, that wasn't a response he was used to. "Your worse then that Uchiha boy in school! You actually have a gaggle of girls fallowing you _everywhere_!" oh how Itachi hated those stalker-sh girls, as amusing as it was to Shisui, it was horrifying to Itachi.

"I know you," Sakura said softly, her voice making the brunet jump and turn sheepishly towards the pinkette. "You walked me to class a few days ago and then defended me against Ai. I never got the chance to say thank you."

"It's no problem," the brunet chuckled, blushing slightly. "Ai picks on a lot of girls, she generally leaves me alone because her first attempt blew up in her face. You just so happen to be her favorite, so I decided to get back at her when I could." Sakura adopted a blank look, her wide eyes blinking owlishly at the girl.

"My name's Sakura Haruno," Sakura said suddenly, letting a soft smile slip across her face as she stared at the brunet a few steps away from her. "What's yours?"

"Tenten." The brunet answered before shifting slightly when she saw Sakura's curious look. "I'm an orphan so I don't have a last name..." Sakura blinked and nodded her head.

"I'm here looking for mister," Sakura said, changing the subject again. "Would you like to help me?"

"Did your mister give you the crimson ribbon with the bells on it?" Tenten asked pointing at the ribbon holding most of Sakura's hair out of her face, the pinkette nodded and Tenten's eyes lit up excitedly. "That's great! Because he gave me mine!" Tenten tugged at one of the bells hanging from her hair just above her left ear. "That means he got to you first right?" Sakura nodded. "Then you accepted his propresition?"

"You mean his 'proposition'?" Sakura asked, Tenten blushed and nodded. "Yes, I've accepted it. He called the clue 'she' and when looking for a clue you start at the beginning."

"Oh!" Tenten's lit up with understanding and her mouth formed a near perfect 'O' shape. "This is where you two met?" Tenten asked excitedly, making Sakura give a small smile before she nodded.

"That's great!" Tenten flung one hand out to point at another path about a hundred feet away. "He found me over there!"

"Then we'll go over there next." Sakura said softly. "Let's look for the first clue here, together."

"Right!" Tenten smiled

"Whoa wait a moment!" both girls turned to a suddenly panicky looking Shisui. "Are you two talking about some stranger who popped out of nowhere and gave you both ribbons and made a deal with you two? Didn't your parents ever tell you about not talking to strangers?" Tenten adopted an irritated look before something seemed to glow mischievously in her brown orbs. Slowly Tenten turned to whisper something in Sakura's ear, careful to cover her lips with her hand. Sakura seemed to think about the other girl's words before she nodded and whispered something back.

"Um..." Shisui hesitated as he stared at the smirking girls staring at him. "Now when I said strangers, I didn't mean—" simultaneously both girls let out blood curtailing screams and collapsed against each other, tears streaming down their round cheeks. Shisui started to panic as people turned to stare at them, he even caught a few shinobi parents look at him as if they were trying to decide to approach him.

"Hay Itachi—!" Shisui's voice died off as he turned and saw that his cousin was gone. "That A***!" Shisui all but shrieked, unintentionally making the girl's give out an extra loud wail. Shisui turned just in time to see some very unamused chunin start to approach him, letting out another curse Shisui turned and ran from the girls; only to panic when he saw the few chunin who were approaching him suddenly give chase.

Sakura and Tenten sniffled and slowly quieted as young female chunin approached them, asking if everything was okay. The girls just replied that he was teasing Sakura about her hair color and Tenten about not having parents, the girl's brow twitched wildly for a moment as Sakura retold the girl about some of the things Shisui had said (in reality Ai was the one who said them but the girl didn't need to know that) and Tenten whimpered out a few words that she had heard a few of the older kids mumble about her.

After the, remarkably short, explanation, the young chunin patted their heads and told them that the boy would think twice before he approached them again. When both Sakura and Tenten asked why, the girl simply smiled and said that it was a secret, and then the strange girl turned and sprinted off in the direction that Shisui and the few chunin ran off in. Once both Sakura and Tenten were sure the girl was gone and that no one was looking, they turned, smiled and bumped fists together. The few Jonin who continued to watch the girls sighed and decided they had better things to tend to.

While Sakura and Tenten scurried the ground together they missed the pair of curious looking black eyes that was watching them from afar. When Sakura straightened from her crouch were she was examining her still there blood drops, sighing Sakura let her eyes drift up to her left were there were a few trees sitting calmly. Suddenly the memory of the man jumping out of nowhere flashed through her mind and with it, a sudden idea. Gasping Sakura hurried over to the most likely tree that the man would have jumped out of, she giggled and clapped her hands together in excitement.

"What is it?" Tenten asked as she hurried over curious about her new friend's sudden cheerfulness.

"It's where he first saw me!" Sakura answered excitedly and pointed up at the lowest branch where a red rope was tied to hold in place a small scroll and an envelope.

"Okay but how does he expect us to get it?" Tenten asked, her face pinching up in confusion. "I don't know about you, but I don't see anything we could use to climb up there and we're both too short—even if you stood on my shoulders." Sakura's mouth snapped shut at the last bit of evidence and she looked down at the ground dejectedly. Both girls lapsed into depressed silence as they both thought about how to get the scroll and letter. They couldn't get someone else to get it because then they'd ask questions. Yet neither one was able to get it, even together, because they both were too short to reach and there were no tools that they could use or carry that wouldn't get them into trouble with the adults.

"Man I wished I could use chakra," Tenten said suddenly, not noticing Sakura's twitch at the declaration. "Then I'd be able to climb that tree no problem."

"What do you mean?" Sakura asked curiously

"I mean that I've seen a few of the older kids at the orphanage practice tree climbing." Tenten explained as she turned to stare curiously at Sakura. "Once someone becomes genin, their sensei teaches them how to climb trees without the use of their hands."

"How can they do that?" Sakura asked confused

"They use chakra," Tenten giggled. "They concentrate it in their feet." Tenten pointed at her own. "I've seen that when they used to much the bark broke and they were propelled backwards yet when they didn't use enough they slipped and fell back down to the earth."

"Hmm," Sakura looked down at her feet and concentrated for that ever present and familiar warmth that was always there humming beneath her skin. Walking forward, Sakura placed one foot onto the tree and after a moment's hesitation lifted her other foot off the ground. Tenten watched in amazement as Sakura stood with one foot placed on the tree and one hovering inches off the ground.

"I'll catch you if you fall." Tenten said as she shook her head with a soft smile, understanding what the pinkette was trying to do. Sakura turned to look at her.

"Don't worry; I think you can do it." Tenten grinned at Sakura encouragingly. "You just stepped up the tree while the kids at the orphanage had to _run_ up the tree. Believe in your self and trust me! You can do it and I'll catch you if you can't!"

Sakura blushed before she put her other foot next to her other and watched her feet carefully before she continued to take slow, hesitant steps up the tree until she found herself staring at the lowest branch were the red rope was. Stepping over carefully, Sakura stood and lowered herself on the branch, refusing to look down at Tenten specifically, Sakura laid on the branch and slowly worked the knot loose from the tree. After a moment of biting her lip to ignore the pain in the tips of her fingers, Sakura finally undid the last of the knot and everything fell twenty feet strait down and landed into a bush that was there.

Once Sakura caught sight of the distance, her sight wavered and she clutched to the branch desperately. Seeing that Sakura was suddenly afraid of heights, Tenten positioned herself right beneath the pinkette and opened her arms out to Sakura.

"Hurry before someone sees!" Tenten called up to Sakura, the pinkette opened her eyes just enough to see Tenten smiling up at her. "It's okay Sakura-san. I told you could do it and I told you, you could trust me. I'll catch you if you fall."

"R-really?" Sakura stuttered, Tenten grinned and nodded her head in agreement.

"Of course!" Sakura gave a tiered smile and looked back at her feet. She tried to focus on her chakra again, but she couldn't quite get a clasp for it. Sighing Sakura decided to get to the base of the branch before she tried again. Unfortunately Sakura slipped and she started fallowing, a started cry left her lips as everything tilted and she started to fall. With a loud crash Sakura held still before she dared to peek out at her surroundings again. Seeing nothing that was out of the ordinary for her had she landed on the ground, Sakura turned to see what was beneath her.

True to her word, Tenten caught Sakura; although it seemed to have knocked the poor brunet out in the processes.

"Tenten," Sakura gasped quickly climbing off the slightly older girl. "Tenten," Sakura called as she shook the brunet's shoulder lightly, then more urgently. "Tenten!" with a loud, pained groan, Tenten's eyes slowly opened and she moaned at the pain that echoed in her head and shoulders from where she landed on the ground.

"I think our heads connected." Tenten groaned out as she curled up onto her side. "I thought you'd be lighter, who knew you have such a hard head?"

"Is that a good thing?" Sakura whispered, her face pale as she thought about what insults could be said had Ai heard that. Tenten snorted and flinched almost at the same time; slowly she pushed herself up and pressed one hand to her forehead.

"Having a hard head could have its benefits." Tenten murmured as she rubbed at her temple gently. "The harder your head, the less likely you'll end up damaging your brain."

"Oh," Sakura whispered depressed. "I'm sorry for having such a hard head..."

"How does your head feel?" Tenten asked curiously, opening her eyes to squint at Sakura curiously. "Does it hurt too?"

"Does that mean anything?" Sakura asked curling up, Tenten raised an eyebrow at the girl before she pushed herself up into a sitting potion, one hand still pressed against her temple.

"It just means that I have a hard head too." Tenten replied as she looked around herself curiously. "Where did the scroll go?"

"Oh," Sakura's head swiveled to look up at the bush that was easily as tall as she was. "It landed there," Sakura pointed and Tenten stood, blinking in confusion, she walked over and stood on her tip toes to look over the large bush.

"Nice hit Sakura-chan!" Tenten chuckled glancing back at Sakura. "You hit it dead center!"

"But I can't reach the center," Sakura grumbled lowly to herself, Tenten snickered and reached forward, pushing herself into the bush and catching Sakura's attention at the same time.

"D-don't wo-worry," Tenten mumbled as she stretched and reached for the crimson rope. "I-I th-think I-c-can—GOT IT!" Tenten snapped around, yanking on the crimson rope as she did so. She ignored the scroll that flew out of the bush to slap into her upper arm, preferring to smile encouragingly at Sakura. "If you can't do something, then rely on me to do it!"

Sakura stared wide eyed up at Tenten, it was silent for all of one moment before Sakura smiled brightly up at the taller girl and agreed with a light chuckle.

"Now come on!" Tenten laughed as she pulled the scroll up closer to her chest, gathering the red rope into her arms as she turned and started to walk away. "Let's go see what Mister left me!"

Sakura chuckled as she jumped to her feet and hurried after Tenten.

…

* * *

><p>…<p>

**Thoughts are helpful**

**Opinions are wonderful**

**Flames are lovely! Just don't cripple me okay?**

**Please no cursing!**

**And don't forget to review!**

**Page 6**


	6. Chapter 6

**Worst Case Scenario**

Chapter 6: figuring out the clues

Koomahana

**Disclaimer: Naruto is not mine; you want the real stuff get off this site**

_Thoughts_

_Paragraphs are memories_

…

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><p>…<p>

"Sakura why are you so dirty?" Mebuki asked with a raised eyebrow as soon as she saw her daughter walk through the front door of their apartment. Sakura giggled as she slipped off her shoes and hurried to hug her mother.

"I made a new friend!" Sakura cheered as looked up at Mebuki. "We went running around and played hide and seek and we climbed trees and we—"

"Whoa, whoa love, slow down." Mebuki chuckled as she patted Sakura's head gently. "One thing at a time child, why don't you tell me how you two first met and what's their name?"

"Her name is Tenten," Sakura answered as she took her mother's hand and fallowed the blonde into the kitchen. "And we first met at the academy just after you dropped me off. She walked me to class because I almost fallowed... you..." Sakura's once rapped speech slowed until she looked up at her mother shyly. Mebuki stared down at her daughter curiously before her lips thinned and she looked disapprovingly down on her only child.

"You met her yesterday didn't you?" Mebuki asked, referring to the day of the explosion when she left her child at the academy gates instead of making sure she got to class without a problem. Sakura nodded and shifted uncomfortably. "And she walked you to class when you decided to go against my orders?" Sakura bowed her head in shame with a heavy sigh. "She sounds fine to me." Sakura blinked and looked back up at her mother as the blonde returned to the stove, a wooden spoon in hand. "At least one of you can fallow directions." Sakura could hear the light chuckle in her mother's voice, she knew that the tone meant she was teasing her; Sakura giggle and quickly hurried over to her designated 'helper' station in the kitchen.

"So what else did you and Tenten do today?" Mebuki asked as she handed over her wooden spoon to Sakura, the pinkette in question immanently started to recount her entire day, starting where Tenten had helped her explain what really happened with Ai to her father and the parents of the brat's friends. Mebuki chuckled softly as she pulled the loss ribbon from Sakura's hair and began to redo it, she knew that said parents would now try to contact her and inform her of their children's doings and apologize at the same time.

As the two finished cooking up their dinner, they slowly set things about on their new dinning table and readied themselves for dinner—completely unaware of two sets of watchful eyes hiding in their back yard tree that had the perfect view of the second story window and glass back doors.

"She seems fairly normal to me," Shisui mumbled as he made himself comfortable in the Haruno's back yard tree. "The only thing remarkable about her is her hair color."

"You didn't see her climb a tree without her hands." Itachi replied as he watched the small family converse excitedly, the father tickling his daughter every chance he got and his wife reprimanding him for playing at the dinner table, even as she hid her smile. "All she needed was an explanation and she got it on the first try."

"Itachi you could have done that with a simple example." Shisui shot back, Itachi turned to stare at Shisui for a moment, as if waiting for the older boy to notice his words. As soon as Shisui did, he slapped a hand to his forehead and groaned. "...I doubt she's a genius like you."

"Hai," Itachi agreed returning to watch the small family. "She's a genius at chakra control."

Shisui turned ands stared at Itachi in exasperation. "...you're not going to let go of this are you?"

Itachi said nothing and disappeared from sight, Shisui sighed before he started to fallow after his cousin; both young Uchiha's returning to their compound. Shisui never did see that smirk on Itachi's face before he left their hiding spot; it seemed that the small girl had noticed them just before they left.

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Tenten giggled as she rolled in her bed, she was trying to be quite for the benefit of the other kids, but she heard someone 'sh'ing her anyways. She had spent the day with Sakura; after they had gotten her clue they ran over to her place and searched until evening for anything that shouldn't have been there. They came up with slinkys', dolls, shiriken and kunai (some fake and others not so fake), a few pencils and pens, a few needle like things (Tenten swore they were supposed to be senbon) and a bunch of stuffed animals (that Tenten took back to the orphanage gave to the younger kids after they were thorough washed by the head of the orphanage). Both Sakura and Tenten had thought that Tenten's clue would be in a tree or a bush, which is where they found the majority of their things. Turns out, the man wasn't going to be playing in patterns, he was going to make them think.

Tenten remembered that Sakura had thought that a clue for Tenten's clue would be in the seal that was made out for her. Tenten would never again be skeptical of the pinkette ever again, after they opened the scroll, the girls had found out that it was instructions made out to find Tenten's scroll. There were also directions to the approximate location of the scroll. So the two of them had spent the evening forming the ram seal and disrupting their chakra signatures every five minutes; Tenten swore she had caught a few shinobi eyeing them, but she wasn't sure. By the time the sun was beginning to set, the both of them had finally found Tenten's scroll.

It was sitting in the middle of the pathway with a small genjutsu on it to hide it from view. Truthfully, they never would have found it had Ai not found them and tried to throw a rock at Sakura. Tenten was able to pull Sakura out of the way in time, but what had immanently caught Tenten's and Sakura's attention was that the rock had never landed. Ignoring AI's loud shouting and crude words, both of them walked over to where it should have landed and disrupted their chakra signature _again_.

…

_They both found the scroll sitting on a small pedestal with Ai's rock sitting atop of a little note telling them that they had done well by finding it before sunset. Still ignoring Ai, Tenten and Sakura shared a look before they looked at the sun—it was sunset._

"_Thank you Ai," Sakura said as she snapped around to look at the purple haired girl. "If you hadn't thrown that rock we never would have found Tenten's scroll." Whatever Tenten was thinking about saying to Sakura, was swiftly forgotten. Ai couldn't decide if they were crazy or if she was wasting her time trying to bully them._

"_I'm not thanking her," Tenten grumbled as she reached for her scroll, Sakura turned towards her and shrugged._

"_It doesn't really matter," Sakura replied as she took the note and rock before they clattered to the ground. "I think I accidentally broke Ai." Referring to the fact that said girl still hadn't responded to Sakura thanking her._

"_I'm not broken!" Ai snapped out, her cheeks reddening. "Didn't either one of you hear anything that I said?!" both Tenten and Sakura turned to give Ai deadpan looks._

"_No/nope" Ai let out a frustrated scream and left them; ignoring Tenten's not so muffled snickering._

"_What do we do now?" Tenten asked as she held up her scroll to be compared to Sakura's. While the pinkette's was crimson and rimmed in black, Tenten's was black rimed in crimson._

"_I guess we could meet up again tomorrow and find out." Sakura answered with a shrug._

…

_I can't wait to meet her again_, Tenten thought as she curled around her pillow with a giggle and closed her eyes in delight. _I'm so glad to finally have a friend. Even if she's a year younger then me._

…

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><p>…<p>

**I've kind of died at this point**

**what should I explain in the next chapter?**

**what haven't I explained yet?**

**should the next chapter be a time skip?**

**Don't forget to rate and review :)**

**Page 4**


	7. Chapter 7

**Worst Case Scenario**

Chapter 7: Meeting again

Koomahana

**Disclaimer: Naruto is not mine; you want the real stuff get off this site**

_Thoughts_

_Paragraphs are memories_

…

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><p>…<p>

Finally, the day he had been waiting for had arrived. The day he'd get to meet the only children of the next generation that he could actively influence. He glanced at the calendar above his desk just to double check. May 28th, yes it was finally time for him to make his next move on the next generation. He slid his feet into his slippers and thrust his arms through his favorite blue coat, quickly working to wrap his belt around his waist and hiding many small weapons on his person as he went. It was strange doing so, he hadn't for some time but he knew things would be different this time, things already wore different. He couldn't be lax any longer, assured that his men would keep him safe. He trusted his men to do that much, but he didn't trust all of them—Not yet at least. A soft knock on his door had him turning almost curiously towards it.

"Danzo-sama, are you awake?" Danzo narrowed his eyes at the soft famine voice, that was not one of his solders.

"I am," Danzo answered facing the door curiously, was it one of Hiruzen's Anbu operatives?

"Hokage-sama has requested your presences," the soft voice said through the door. "It's an emergency council meeting." Generally Danzo was above cursing, but he really felt like it at the moment. He settled for doing a mental charade of curses and being silent to the woman's soft words.

"I will be there shortly," Danzo answered gruffly, still unsure if he should hurry or take his time.

"I'll inform Hokage-sama," the woman replied, her chakra signature quickly disappearing from his senses. Danzo waited for a moment before he left his room silently, his mind wondering to the possibilities of the sudden meeting. There wasn't much that came to mind, in less it was about the Uchiha's using the Nine tailed demon against the village, but those meetings hadn't been labeled as 'emergency meetings' before, why would they be considered one now?

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><p>…<p>

Sakura giggled softly as she and Tenten wondered around the village together, holding their scrolls up occasionally to get a clearer view of the map and fallow it's integrate lines exactly. They found several 'keys' along the way, cute little trinkets that kept their interest in the 'game' that the strange man was presenting to them. They had to check out a few books from the library (much to the amusement of the librarian) and had gotten small wooden weapons from the weapon's shop (the old man laughed and gave the tiny pieces away for free, they were barely larger then the girl's hands after all). They had gotten and kept the sticks from the Dango shop and the fruit stand, they fallowed a large brown cat and offered it a bit of the food until it decided they were friends and let Sakura carry it, purring loudly in her clumsy hold.

"Come on, this way," Tenten stage whispered, waving Sakura closer until they were both crouching lowly next to a high wooden fence. One wooden board between the stone and wooden walls askew revealing a partially dark tunnel, every few feet a line of sunlight would peak through the wooden wall. The best part about the tiny hole was that it was small enough for a single small child to crawl through without having to worry about getting too dirty.

"You th-think this i-is really i-it?" Sakura asked unsurely, her voice soft and her hold on the brown cat tightening slightly.

"Yeah," Tenten answered, not quite convinced herself. "What could it hurt to at least look?"

"The last entrance you thought you found, led into the U-Uchiha com-mound," Sakura answered, pronouncing her words slowly so she could say them correctly. Tenten chuckled and scratched the back of her head nervously.

"Oh! How about this," Tenten leaned forward slightly, her eyes wide and bright as an idea formed in her mind. "I go in first, then when I give the all clear you can fallow me, okay?"

"What's the all clear word going to be?" Sakura asked curiously. "Shouldn't there be safety words that we can use?"

"Hmm," Tenten sat back and thought for a moment, one hand crossing her chest while the other wrapped around her chin thoughtfully. "Oh I know!" Tenten jumped in her seat on the dirt, the brown cat in Sakura's arms bristled at her suddenly loud voice. "Sorry, kitty," Tenten murmured petting the cat to calm her down. "How about we use names? Like the people we booth feel safe around and the people we booth can't stand, what'd ya' think about that?"

"So..." Sakura leaned back her brows pinched together and her eyes clouded over with thought. "How about Iruka-sensei and Ai? Oh! Sorry, you probably don't—"

"No it's okay, I know who Iruka-sensei is," Tenten smiled at Sakura reassuringly. "Okay so Iruka means it's safe and Ai means it's a danger zone, okay?"

"Got it," Sakura grinned and put one fist forward to bump it against Tenten's tan one. "Come back safely," Sakura murmured as Tenten crawled forward into the hole. It wasn't long before Tenten's voice called back to Sakura, telling her to join her quickly. hesitantly Sakura put the brown cat down and slowly crawled into the hole on her hand's and knees, not liking how she had so little light to work with. When she got a little further in, the cat she had left behind bounded up behind her and jumped over her to walk a head of her.

"Hay kitty you scared me!" Sakura whined to the brown cat, who swished a tail at her and walked forward with a swish. Chuckling in amusement at the cat, Sakura crawled after it slowly.

* * *

><p><strong>yeah i know, it's short but thought it might have been nice to update the story...<strong>

**what do you think is going to happen?**

**don't forget to rate and review!**

**Page 4**


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